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ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Many groups and people have been active across the United states in the last few months in opposing the United States initiating a larger war against Iraq, some objecting to U.S. Action without broad international support, and others against any military action in Iraq. At least 34 cities and tons have passed resolutions against war with Iraq. The list of groups who are engaged in such anti-Iraq war activity as rallies, demonstrations, public speaking and writing, and contacting officials is longer than can be printed here. Among them are National Mobilization Against war in Iraq, members of the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA), Psychologists for Social Responsibility, The American Friends service committee, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), the Institute for Space and Security Studies, Resist and many others. With initiatives from local citizens and groups coming together as the DC Grass Roots Think Tank (ingridnatasha@yahoo.com), The Washington D.C. City Council, in November, passed "a sense of the Council" resolution to the effect that citizens do not feel that there is a strong case for military action against Iraq at this time. A coalition of Canadian peace groups announced, on November 21, their intention to send an international team of volunteer weapons inspectors into the United States later this winter. The coalition, Rooting Out Evil, are recruiting inspectors through their newly launched website, www.rootingoutevil.org. One source for information about the anti Iraq war movement is the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA), The Evergreen State college, Mailstop: Sem 3127, Olympia, WA 98505 (360)867-5230, pjsa@attbi.com. www.evergreen.edu/pjsa.

Search for Common Ground is engaged in a number of activities in Africa. Since 1995, with funding from USAID and the Open Society Institute, they have sponsored a wide range of projects in Burundi to support peace and reconciliation. A key activity is Studio Ijambo, a radio production facility where Hutus and Tutsis produce more than 20 hours a week of original programming that is heard by 90% of the population. This includes an immensely popular radio drama, Our Neighbors, Ourselves, now in its 500th episode. Search for Common Ground also produces radio soap operas promoting conflict resolution in six other countries including Indonesia, South Africa, Burundi and Sierra. In the United States, for 18 months, Search for Common ground has sponsored a campaign, co-chaired by Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot and former Agriculture Secretary and Democratic Congressman Dan Glickman, to create the United States Consensus Council. This would be a congressionally authorized body that would seek consensus solutions on national policy issues. In October, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved the Council, and the Senate Appropriations Committee voted funding for it. However, Congress adjourned without moving the Council to final passage. Given strong support in both parties, there is optimism that Congress will pass it into law in 2003. Search for Common Ground in the Middle East (SGME) observes that "Israelis and Palestinians have now reached the point where the measure of success in the bilateral relationship is whether the two sides attended a meeting together - not whether they accomplish anything." Never-the-less, they "should hold on tot he process and the considerable achievements that were once its famous trademark. Among them, the outreach program that local NGOs and PVOs initiated to improve understanding and build trust between the two peoples. The Neve Shalom and Seeds of Peace models of integrating the two communities, once trailblazing ideas, became part of the mainstream." SGME has received a U.S. State Department grant with a group of eight Israeli and eight Palestinian women to explore alternatives to violence and distill into a book their experiences with nonviolence, in partnership with the Truman Institute at the Hebrew University and Middle East Nonviolence and Democracy (MEND). The Security Working Group (SWG) met in the Hague in conjunction with the Middle East steering committee, in June, to discuss the regional security implications of the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit, in March, which offered Israel full normalization in return for full withdrawal to the 1967 lines. The group concluded that this was an important statement of principle that could lend momentum to peace building, but it needed to be more widely noted and understood in Israel to have that impact. CGME agreed to a two pronged approach to sparking a serious dialogue relating to the initiative: commissioning articles for the popular press on Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab views of the initiative and convening a combined Track I-Track II workshops in which officials from Arab nations would brief Israeli journalists. The Canadian Special Middle East Envoy, represented at the meeting, stated support for these measures. Building on earlier SWG initiatives, Search for Common Ground is developing projects for Middle East Nations, despite numerous differences, to collaborate in protecting themselves against the threat of terrorism and other incidents involving weapons of mass destruction and similar events involving large explosions, radiation, toxic chemical releases and serious infectious disease. This includes creating a multinational medical surveillance system for adjacent countries to identify and respond effectively to disease outbreaks, and a program for transnational response to emergencies in general, and chemical spills or atttacks in particular. These measures are seen as extremely valuable in themselves for all parties, and confidence building for increasing collaboration in other spheres. Common Ground News Service (CGNews) has begun a Hebrew language service in addition to its English and Arabic article circulation. Search for common Ground in Morocco held a second two day workshop on negotiating skills in June, funded by the British Commonwealth Office. Participants were representatives of the main Moroccan labor unions, the association of enterprises andthe ministries of labor and human rights. For more information, contact Bulletin of Regional cooperation in the Middle East, 1601 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009 (202)265-4300, bulletin@sfcg.org, http://www.sfcg.org, or European Center for common ground, Rue Belliard, 205, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium (32-2)736-7362, eccg@eccg.ge.

Gush Shalom continues to collaborate with other peace and human rights organizations for obtaining a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Over the past few months the organization has been under some pressure from the Israeli government for supporting Israeli soldiers and reservists who have been refusing to serve in the occupied territories, and for warning security personnel not to violate human rights. This included the presenting of a bill in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), which was tabled, that would criminalize any assistance rendered by an Israeli citizen to the International War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague. Last fall, Gush Shalom joined in demonstrating to protect the cutting down of Palestinian olive groves for the building of the wall to separate Palestinians and Israelis, and for settlement expansion. The organization is concerned about, "Repeated expulsions, demolition of homes, caves and tents, destruction of water sources, uprooting of fruit trees, prevention of farming and grazing, expropriation of land and the construction of new settlers' outposts, and various restriction orders, all of these are the fate of the Palestinian cave-dwellers who have lived for many generations in the South Hebron hills. Settlers also harass Palestinians working their fields and children on their way to school, while the security forces do nothing to stop them." 'The Separation Wall' which is being erected, far from the media spotlight, is good for the building contractors who line their pockets to the tune of millions and billions. For everybody else, Israelis and Palestinians alike, this wall is bad - very bad. It is locking the Palestinians in a prison - a ghetto, some would say, or a series of ghettos. And, in fact, is making Israel, too, into a ghetto from which the hope of ever achieving peace will recede further and further. Under the cover of "security" and "separation", the regality of apartheid is being institutionalized. An enormous robbery of Palestinians lands is taking place, by erecting a wall between villagers and their fields and olive groves. When the wall is completed, the whole West Bank will become a pressure cooker in which masses of desperate and angry Palestinians will be imprisoned, together with violent and aggressive settlers and a trigger-happy army. Possibly, in the short range the wall will prevent a few suicide bombings (even that is not certain). In the longer (and not so long) range, the explosion will be enormous and terrible. By its very nature, this wall is a "solution" by brute force. It is a continuation of the dangerous illusion that tanks and bulldozers enable Israel to unilaterally impose twisted solutions upon its neighbors. There can be no alternative to negotiations, to a peace agreement, to an agreed border, to a reconciliation between the two peoples. Only this can give a new hope to the desperate Palestinian youths, remove their temptation to put on explosive belts and set out for Israeli cities. There can be no replacement to the Green Line as the peaceful border between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine. In a border of peace there will be no need of a fence. In an ongoing occupation, without peace and without a border, a wall will do no good - on the contrary, it will cause untold human suffering and a grave damage to the chances of peace and reconciliation." For more information contact Gush Shalom, pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033, http://www.gush-shalom.org/

"We gathered in the Galilee town of Shfar'am, where Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze have lived together peacefully for centuries". The 'Walk' and gathering from December 19-21 was organized by Shvil Zahav (The Middle Way) for the sake of "non-violence, tolerance and listening". This is one of numerous ongoing intercommunity walks and dialogues initiated by Shvil Zahav. For more information contact information about Shvil Zahav and past and upcoming 'Walk' events, visit www.middleway.org or email David Lisbona: david@lisbona.com. For more info about affiliate, the House of Hope, visit: www.hohpeacecenter.org. Ruach Shalom/ Ruh al-Salaam partners with peace organizations in Israel and globally, linking them in a network of "Villages"- affiliated groups working together for peace on the planet. Both the Shvil Zahav and the House of Hope are allies of Peacemaker Community-Israel in this way. Visit www.peacemakercommunity.org for more information. In these days of darkness with ever more violence in the Holy Land, Ruach Shalom/ Ruh al-Salaam sponsored a special event to keep the light of hope alive. Over 70 people gathered on Wednesday December 4th, 2002 to celebrate Hannukah and Ramadan in the Western Galilee city of Tamra. This was a shared sacred time being the 6th night of Hannukah and the last day of Ramadan. The Interfaith Encounter Association held a successful joint conference in Jerusalem with the Nablus Youth Federation, that brought together Jews, Christians, and Muslims from Israel and the occupied territories for discussions that focused on each person's relation to their religious tradition and each religion's view on the humanity of members of other faiths.

The International Solidarity Movement (http://www.palsolidarity.org) reports that nonviolent action by Palestinians continues, often unreported by the press. For example, on October 17 Palestinians from the village of Yasouf, accompanied by 13 international supporters from International Women's Peace Service and the International Solidarity Movement, plus members of the Israeli peace movement, fed up with settlers plundering their olives while Israeli police and army forces look on with approval, sick of living in fear of the next shooting attack to drive them from their orchards or the next ambush and theft of olives, walked, en masse, to their most threatened area of land to pick their olive groves, come what may.

A dialogue session recently took place at Georgetown University amongst Jewish, Arab and Muslim students, led by Len Traubman, a co-founder with his wife Libby of the Palestinian-Jewish Living Room Dialogue Group in California, and Mohammed Al-Attar, a participant in a similar dialogue group in San Antonio, Texas. It was reported that the openness of these two leaders helped the students open up, as well, so that, by the end, "[both Jewish and Arab] students said that the dialogue helped to humanize each other and promoted respect."

Psychologists for Social Responsibility (SsySR), in its twentieth year, is focusing on stopping the Iraq war before it starts, while supporting nonviolent approaches to solving interconnected problems in the Middle East; Mobilizing and equipping its members to participate in crucial social movements to build peace, eradicate poverty, establish social justce and protect the environment; expand its work on domestic issues such as jobs, health care, education and the environment through advocacy and deep democracy initiatives; and building organizational capacity for expanded impact, including providing a firmer financial base through establishment of the 20th anniversary Fund. North Carolina PsySR has been established as a local group in Charlotte, Durham and Chapel Hill. For information contact Meg Houlihan: mhoulihan@southeastpsych.com. The Justice and Protection Committee, recently renamed, is creating an interactive web site to update people on current environmental issues and link to places for commenting on those issues. The committee is also developing a short briefing paper articulating the relationship between sustainability and peace. The committee can be cotacted through Debotah Du Nann Winter: winterd@Whitman.edu or Mario Cava: cavamm@Whitman.edu, (509)527-5123. The Nonviolent Social Change Committee has a web site at www.lcsc.edu\dmayton. The Trauma, Resiliance and Social Reintegration Committee has developed a "War Trauma and Recovery Brochure," obtainable from the PsySR office or downloadable from the PsySR web site (see below). Member Neil Wolman, working with a group of Manchester College researchers in Indiana, released a report stating that the population of hungry people in the U.S. almost doubled while the homeless population rose by 45% from 1995 2000. He is continuing work on the multidimensional National Index of Violence and Harm For information go to www.manchester.edu/academic/programs/departments/peace_studies/vi/index.htm. PsySR has expanded networking by supporting the Ignacio Martin-Baro Fund for Mental Health and Human Rights, which supports progressive groups world wide challenging institutional repression and confronting the mental health consequences of violence and injustice, as well as engaging in self-education in the U.S. The fund has awarded more than 100 grants, including many to grass roots organization in Guatemala and El Salvador. Among these are the Association of Maya Ixil Woman - New Dawn (ADMI) and the Solidarity and Reconciliation Program in San Marcos that are confronting the psychological effects of genocide amidst increasing political instability, ongoing structural poverty , and continuing violation of human rights. The fund can be contacted at: Matin-Baro Fund, P.O. Box 2122, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, www.martinbarofund.org. PsySR can be reached at 26or Connecticut Ave., Washington, DC 2008 (202)745 7084, psysrusa@cs.com, www.psysr.org.

The International Peace Practitioners Network, affiliated with PsySR reports that The Center for Fighting Against Child Trafficking, in Benin, sponsored by Tomorrow's Children, is seeking partners in its work on prevention,welcome, education, reintegration and lost child research. The Center is engaged most particularly in the Valley of Oueme, the most troubled area of West Africa for child trafficking. For details contact Gnonlonfin Hector, P.O. Box 41, Dangbo, Benin, West Africa (229)93-18-87, childrentomorrow@heaume.com.

Takehiko Ito and David Adams are collaborating to provide a list serve and web site on the dissemination of the Seville Statement on Violence. The list serve is at seville@wako.ac.jp and can be subscribed by contacting itot@wako.ac.jp. An online newsletter can be subscribed to by contacting adams3peace@aol.com. The web site will soon be on line, hosted by Wako University.

The Alliance for Conflict Transformation helps find specialized staff while publicizing scholarship, conference and funding opportunities related to transforming conflicts and building peace at international, national and community levels. For details contact Craig Zelizer, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. www.conflicttransformation.org.

East Timor Action Network (ETAN) reports that East Timor approved its first constitution in March, elected former guerilla leader and political prisioner Xanana Gusmao President in April, became self governing with the U.N. Mandate ending in May, joined the UN in September, and in July joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In August the ad hoc Indonesian court acquitted six Indonesian military and police officers charged with committing human rights violations in East Timor in 1999. The network is concerned that following the October bombings in Indonesia, the Bush administration has accelerated renewal of ties with the Indonesian military, which human rights organizations say continues to inflict human rights violations in several indigenous and minority areas of Indonesia. It is also concerned that, in September, all repatriation assistance programs ended for the estimated 40,000 East Timorese still in militia controlled refugee camps in West Timor, with 1500 children remaining involuntarily separated from their parents. ETAN launched its first "economic justice campaign" in 2002, raising enough money to help keep East Timor free of international debt, though there is growing pressure for the young nation to borrow internationally. ETAN continues to work with the Indonesian Human Rights Network (IHRN) and others to try to ensure that the "the 'war on terror' does not mean renewing ties with the Indonesian military. For more information contact ETAN P.O. Box 15774, Washington, DC 20003 (202)544-6911, etan@etan.org, www.wtan.org.

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) efforts to have Congress pass the Tibetan Policy Act came to fruition in September. The bill establishes the position of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues at the State Department, sets guidelines for U.S. action on development projects in Tibet at international financial institutions and has provisions on religious persecution, political prisoners, Tibetan language training for U.S. Foreign service officers and authorizes the establishment of a U.S. Branch office in Lhasa. ICT reports that international pressure may be helping bring about a change in Chinese policy toward Tibet. For the first time in twenty years, in September, the Chinese government spoke directly to Tibetan envoys who were invited to visit China and Tibet. Several leading Tibetans were released from prison by China, before their sentences were completed, and some were allowed to come to the U.S. For medical treatment. It remains to be seen, if, and to what extent, these events are signals of a real policy change, or only gestures, with little substance, aimed at reducing international criticism. A top Chinese official has stated that state mandated immigration of Chinese to Tibet will make Tibetans a minority in their capital city of Lhasa in few years. During the summer, Nepal made it difficult for Tibetan residents to gather together in large numbers, saying that such gatherings were "activities that undermine China's interests." Following an international letter writing campaign and the payment of a fine by a sympathetic German physician, in August, Nepal released from prison a woman and her infant son born in prison. She was one of eight Tibetan students detained at the India-Nepal boarder while trying to return to Tibet after spending some time in India. Tibetan groups attending the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, in August, drew attention to environmental damage and the violation of economic and other rights of the indigenous population, from Chinese development on the Tibetan Plateau. For more information, contact International Campaign for Tibet, 1825 K St., NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC 20006, info@savetibet.org, www.savetibet.org, www.tibetpresswatch.com.

The Center for U.N Reform Education is a broad based NGO that carries out research and produces publications aimed at improving the UN and catalyzing reform of its operation. It delivers all of its publications free of charge to every UN mission and to more than 30 affiliated NGOs, more than 50 University Libraries, to the U.S. Department of State and the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Congressional foreign relations committees. Its publications have had an impact on UN development, including a 1990 monograph on human rights mechanisms and a 1992 monograph on an International Criminal court. The Center has also produced publications on such topics as strengthening international peacekeeping, security council reform, reform of international financial Institutions, weighted voting in the general assembly and additional UN options in combating international terrorism. For more information contact Center for UN Reform Education, 1160 Hamburg Turnpike, Office #2, Wayne, NJ 07470 (973)872-8900, UNReform@email.msn.com.

Peace Brigades International invites people to become human rights observers in its efforts to support justice and human rights through nonviolent action. For more information contact Andrew Miller, Peace Brigades International, 428 8th St., SE, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20003 (202)544-3765, http://www.peacebrigades.org.

The Mennonite Church U.S.A's peace work is in transition from the former Peace and Justice Committee to a new Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite church USA (PJSN). PJSN is an inclusive group open to anyone who wants to support its work or receive its newsletter. Its goal is to become an inclusive, antiraciest, multicultural network of peoples with an agenda reflecting diverse forms of peace and justice - urban and rural, local and international, traditional antiwar activism and the justice-oriented issues on the home front. The first gathering of PJSN is planned for June 30 - July 2, just before the church wide convention in Atlanta, at a yet to be announced nearby site. A newsletter will be started reflecting the new organizations mission and a resource list will soon be linked to its web site. For details contact Peace and Justice Network, Mennonite Church USA, 722 Main st., P.O. Box 347, Newton, KS 67114 (866)866-2872, Peace@MennoniteMission.net, http://peace.mennolink.org.

The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) has been working for years with citizens' groups all over the world on developing alternatives to corporate driven globalization. Much of this work is brought together in Sarah Anderson and John Cavanagh, Alternatives to Economic globalization, an International Forum on Globalization book. For more information contact IPS, 733 15 St., NW, suite 1020, Washington DC 20005 (202)234-9382.

Transcend Peace University (TPU) is a global university developing skills and knowledge for conflict transformation by peaceful means, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. The rector is Johan Galtung, one of the founders of peace studies and of the Transcend method of peaceful conflict transformation. Courses and workshops are offered on site and all over the world on line. The Transcend method is based on deep dialogues with the parties to a conflict, one at a time, to know their goals better, to stimulate creativity and to identify outcomes acceptable to all. "Rather than compromises, we try something new and better, often beyond what the parties first had in mind."

The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) engages in peacemaking, skills training and research, runs conflict management capacity-building programs in South Africa and the region; and has partnerships with many United Nations agencies and government departments in South and Southern Africa. Information about CCR can be obtained from: Centre for Conflict Resolution, c/o University of Cape Town, Rhodes Gift Post Office, 7707, South Africa, tel: 27+21+4222 512, http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za.

Indiana Peace and Justice Network (IPJN) was formed in Indiana, in October, of peace and justice organizations from around the state. Plans include coordinated state wide rallies and a conference this spring. For details contact: info@ipjn, www.ipjn.org.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), at the World Summit on sustainable Development, joined with third world and indigenous peoples' representatives to initiate a discussion of a comprehensive Convention on Knowledge expressing commitment to "develop and use knowledge ethically for the good of all." The full document is available at www.I-sis.org.uk, www.sgr.org.uk and www.twnside.org.sg. SGR can be reached at sgr@gn.apc.org and its chair, Stuart Parkinson, at StuartP@sgr.org.uk, Tel.: 07941 953640.

The Peace Development Fund provides one year grants, usually up to $10,000, to support organizations and projects within the U.S., working to achieve peaceful, just, and equitable relationships among people and nations. The foundation can be reached at, grants@peacefund.org. its Program URL is: http://www.peacedevelopmentfund.org/grant/grtprio.htm, and full program descriptions are at: http://www.infoed.org/new_spin/spin_prog.asp?36221. Resist is a 35 year old nonprofit organization that funds small activist groups around the U.S. In 2002, Resist granted more tha $300,000 to 136 groups that they found creative, working in 45 states on issues of peace and social and economic justice. For details, contact Resist.,259 Elm St., Somerville. MA 02144. Www.resistinc.org.

Doctors Without Borders reports, that since the signing of a Congo peace agreement and the withdrawal of Rwandan and Ugandan troops, violence against the population has intensified, increasing humanitarian catastrophe, in the Democratic Congo as rival groups compete to fill the vacuum left by the departing armies. Doctors Without Borders is currently providing medical aid in six provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Angola, the cease fire has allowed humanitarian organizations access to areas suffering from more than 30 years of violent conflict. The health situation has turned out to be even worse than anticipated, including malnutrition rates in some areas as high as 42%, requiring a substantial increase in immediate aid. For more information about its doings and findings, contact Doctors Without Borders, 6 W. 39 St., 8 Floor, New York, NY 10016 (212)679-6800, doctors@msf.org, www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

CARE and other organizations are working to meet the severe drought caused food crises in southern africa where 14.4 million people are on the verge of starvation. One-fourth of the populations of Malawi and Zambia are at risk, while in Zimbabwe, where President Mugabe's land seizures have reduced agricultural production, half the population is dangerously short of food. CARE is not only providing relief, but is also assisting in increasing farm production, in part by helping construct irrigation systems in 13 villages. For more information contact CARE, 151 Ellis st., NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 (800)422-7385, info@care.org, www.care.org.

The 3rd World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was held at Rome, under the sponsorship of Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Gorbachev Foundation and the Nobel Peace Laureate of1990. Under President Gorbachev's leadership, a statement was issued, to be distributed throughout the U.N. system and to many world leaders, calling for a solution to the Iraq-U.S. crisis by the U.N. Security Council and not unilateral action. Security Council resolutions must be fully adhered to, and the rights of the Iraqi people respected. The struggle against terrorism must not become a pretext for unjust constraints on human rights. The statement sharply criticized new military doctrines which make a preemptive nuclear weapons attack possible. The statement, calling for the abolition of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, said: "Nuclear weapons are immoral and every use of them is illegal." The statement concluded: "A culture of peace must overcome today's culture of war". With the theme of the meeting, Beyond Johannesburg: Water Emergency and Other Emergencies of the World, participants supported a Water for Peace initiative flowing out of the Johannesburg Declaration, Battle for the Planet, signed by six Nobel laureates and the mayors of several large cities. Six Nobel Peace laureates attended the Rome meeting with the representatives of 14 other organizations that received the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Center for Defense Information (CDI) sees the U.S. Slow to change its military thinking in responding to meet the emerging military and warfare scenarios that will predominate in the next quarter century. According to the executive summary of "Reforging the Sword: Forces for a 21st Century Security Strategy," published in the March issue of The Defense Monitor, "Intervening in complex civil wars or internal violence and conducting peacekeeping operations - 'smaller-scale contingencies' - have become frequent missions of the U.S. Military. These missions are increasingly likely to feature 'asymmetric' warfare, which tries to bypass the U.S. Military's current strength - industrial age warfare of destructive attrition on the battlefield - and attack its weaknesses. The dominant diplomatic and military role that the United States will continue to play in world affairs will generate resentment and resistance as well as support. The United states must nurture and expand this support. This approach presupposes restraint on the unilateral use of the United states in its pursuit of global stability and other national interests, and elevates the the principle of multinational response....The study calls for a strategy that will: Broaden military thinking to include stronger use of political, economic and social components of national security; Integrate capabilities with allies to improve multinational military effectiveness and collectively engage with areas of conflict - heading off conflict if possible and jointly intervening in selected cases if not; Quicken military forces and refocus some of them on smaller scale contingencies..." The texts of the full and condensed versions of this report are available at www.cdi.org/mrp/reforging-full.pdf, or following"/reforging,"-condensed.pdf. CDI is similarly critical of U.S. Nuclear policy, including that in making a nuclear weapons agreement with Russia that allows warheads taken of readiness to be stored, it increases the possibility that nuclear weapons, which Russia has difficulty guarding with adequate security, may fall into the hands of terrorists. CDI offers a number of in depth analyses of security related policy, including of monitoring of the weapons trade and of homeland security. For more information, contact the Center for Defence Information, 1779 Massachussets Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202)0600, www.cdi.org.

There are a number of recent reports with interesting findings from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Among them are Special Reports: "Advancing Human Rights and Peace in a Complex World (April, 2002)" among whose conclusions is,"Pursuing Human Rights and Democracy is essential to success in the war on terrorism and to overall efforts to secure peace. It is however a long term process. Balancing must always be done between those long term goals and immediate needs, including ending the terrorist threat;" and "Enhancing Intenational Civilian Police in Peace Operations (April 22, 2002)," which, among other things, finds that the increase of international civilian police (CVPOL) in international peace keeping operations "has led to a need for CIVPOL officers with a wide variety of police skills, particularly in the 'executive missions' in Kosovo and East Timor. Among the problems resulting from expanded CIVPOL involvement have been a shortage of properly trained and experienced officers and the lack of logistical support." In the February 2002 issue of Peace Watch, the general finding in "Nonviolent Struggles against Repressive Regimes" was that, "Strategic nonviolent actions by civilians are likely to succeed if a tyrant no longer has solid support, particularly from the military and police." For more information contact United States Institute of Peace, 1200 17 St., NW, Washington DC 20036 (202)457-1700, usip_requests@usip.org, www.usip.org.

The Institute for Space and Security Studies (ISSS) opposes the U.S. Initiating wider armed hostilities against Iraq, especially unilaterally, because, on the one hand, it sees such action as unnecessary as Saddam Hussein is adequately deterred from using any weapons of mass destruction he might have or acquire beyond his borders, and on the other hand, such a military action risks destabilizing the entire Middle East and creating many more terrorists. Moreover, ISSS analysis of U.S. defense documents indicates that the real reason for undertaking such a war is to establish permanent U.S. bases in the region, to be able to occupy Saudi Arabia, if necessary, to protect the interests of U.S. multinational oil companies. ISSS has a new permanent headquarters, 5017 Belflower Ct., Melbourne, FL 32940 (321)752-5955.

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) is happy that the U.S. and Russia signed the Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty (SORT), in May, reducing the number of deployed strategic nuclear weapons of each nation by two thirds by 2012, but unhappy that it allows weapons taken out of operation to be stored, rather than destroyed, and sets no time table for the reduction process, only setting an end date. PSR (like UCS, below) opposes the Bush Administrations Nuclear Posture Review, calling for further development, testing, and possible use of certain nuclear weapons as "a national catastrophe." PSR is concerned that the Bush Administration's weakening of the Clean Air Act is a serious blow to health, as fine particle pollution from old power plants is estimated to cause tens of thousands of premature deaths every year, as well as asthma, chronic bronchitis and other health problems. Indeed, the organization believes that, world wide, health needs to be central to development, requiring that environmental factors be appropriately taken into account. Because that does not happen now, especially in poorer countries, health problems that should be improving are getting worse. Among the worsening health problems are: increase of diarrheal disease, killing 2.2 million children annually, with 90% of the cases following from environmental conditions including poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water and safe food; Asthma, which annually kills 180,000 people world wide , affecting the breathing of at least 150 million additional people each year, resulting in lost school and work days and lowered productivity; diabetes which is rising dramatically and is anticipated to affect more than 300 million people by 2025; lead poisoning, a completely preventable condition that harms tens of millions of adults and children world wide, and pesticide poisoning, killing 40,000 agricultural workers each year, world wide, and weakening the health of 2 to 5 million more. For more information contact Physicians for Social Responsibility, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1012, Washington, DC 20009 (202)667-4260, psrnatl@psr.org, www.pwsr.org.

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) member David Lochbaum posted research on the UCS web site last summer showing that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had allowed the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant to cause dangerous radioactive pollution in Ohio. Lochbaum had first presented research showing that the plant was emitting radioactivity, causing a shutdown by NRC in December 2001. But in response to corporate concern about income loss from the shut down, NRC allowed the plant to reopen. Then in February 2002 a routine shut down for maintenance and inspection found serious defects in the reactor, including a hole in the reactor head and a bulge in the steel casing containing it. UCS is hailing the growth in availability of more fuel efficient and less polluting hybrid electric cars, and promoting the increase in reliance on wind power for electricity, including the construction of offshore wind turbines recently begun in New England. UCS is demanding stronger regulation of "pharm" crops, genetically engineered to produce pharmaceuticals for people and animals. Since most of the plants being engineered for pharmaceutical production are species used to grow food, there is concern that their development would ultimately contaminate food production, as their pollen carries the engineered genes into other plants. There is now a clear record of this occurring far from where the genetically engineered plants are grown, in some cases when they are grown in supposedly sealed green houses. UCS continues to oppose the development and use of new nuclear weapons by the US as counter to its strategic interest in stopping nuclear proliferation and use of such weapons by other nations. For more information contact Union of concerned Scientists., 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02238 (617)547-5552, ucs@ucsusa.org, www.ucsusa.org. Greenpeace takes a similar approach, favoring environmentally friendly wind power generation and other renewable energy that are decentralized and less vulnerable to terrorism; opposing expansion or renewal of nuclear energy plants that are dangerous in themselves and sitting ducks for disastrous terrorist attacks; opposing drilling for new oil in pristine and sacred places, when far more fuel savings can be made, while reducing pollution by making automobiles more fuel efficient favoring protecting forests and the environment generally as essential to human and national security. For more, contact Greenpeace, 702 H St., NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 (800)326-0959, www.greenpeace.org. Friends of the Earth is working to change the environmental policies of President Bush, who in his first year in office "has established the most anti-environmental record of any president in recent history." For details, contact Friends of the Earth, 1025 Vermont Ave., NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC 20005, www.foe.org. The Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) has been working for alternatives to pesticides world wide, including pressuring the World Bank and other international financial institutions to limit pesticide use in projects they support. PANNA has been among the organizations opposing genetically engineered crops and animals. For details contact PANNA, 49 Powell St., Suite 500, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415)981-1771, panna@panna.org, www.panna.org.

Population Communications International (PCI) is concerned that the 1990's were the hottest years of the last millenium and that population growth is driving increasing pollution, including production of greenhouse gasses bringing on global warming. PCI reports that at its current rate world population growth will jump from 4 billion people in 1999 to 7 billion by 2011. PCI has focussed on reducing population growth in the third world through working with the media. In Mexico family planning oriented soap operas have been a major factor in achieving a 34% decline in the rate of population growth over the last decade. For more details contact Population Communications International, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY, 10017 (212)687-3366, www.population,org.

The Campaign for Labor rights (CLR) reports a victory for workers, supported by several unions and NGOs, at a Samsonite subcontracting plant (Light House) in Thailand, to have Light House rehire all striking workers and agree to union activity. CLR finds that NAFTA has made it easier for companies to exploit workers with very low wages, and opposes the Free Trade Area in the Americas (FTAA) agreement which would make the situation worse, and is thus being opposed by social movements throughout the Americas. The Campaign is currently supporting the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in a campaign to get Taco Bell to pay wages and benefits higher than the sub poverty level the Company is now paying tomato pickers. The coalition is calling for a boycott of Taco Bell.

In Ecuador, CLR is supporting 1400 workers who went on strike for basic labor rights and the right to a union at seven plantations that grow bananas for the Naboa company. Since the strike began in February, 120 workers have been fired and a police force has been stationed on the plantations. In May, striking workers were attacked by 400 hooded, armed men, with the facilitation of plant managers. At least 12 workers were seriously injured and several women were raped. The outcome of this labor action may be far reaching, with 220,000 banana workers in Ecuador and the Nboa company the worlds fourth largest banana company. CLR is also supporting workers against Coca Cola union busting in Columbia and Guatemala. for more details contact Campaign for Labor Rights, 1470 Irving St., NW, Washington, DC 20010 (202)235-5002, Severina.Rivera@CLRlabor.org, CLR@afgj.org. Another supporter of the banana workers in Ecuador is U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project, that is engages in numerous struggles for labor rights in the Americas. A particular concern of the project is the tremendous human rights violence that takes place every day in Columbia, especially against the trade union movement. One trade unionist is being killed every two days, more than in all other countries combined. The project engages in public education, advocates Congress making ending violence against unionists in Columbia a priority, supports campaigns against specific U.S. Companies operating in Columbia, such as Coca Cola, to hold them accountable for ensuring an end to violence against their workers, and helping form a labor caucus on Columbia, along with Global Exchange and labor leaders around the U.S. For details contact U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project, P.O. Box 268-290, Chicago, IL 60626 (773)262-6502, usglep@gc.org, www.usleap.org. The Khulamani group, a South African support group for victims of apartheid, brought suite in U.S. federal court in New York, in November, against a number of large international banks and businesses for supporting racist policies in South Africa,

The Time Dollar Institute, which developed the idea of people being able to earn one "time dollar" for one hour of what ever work an organization will designate, that can be used to buy what ever an organization designates as being purchasable by time dollars, reports that the Ford Foundation is funding three time dollar projects in El Paso, Houston and New York where this special money is being used as a vehicle to integrate poor immigrants into both the local community and the economy. In London, England, the first 45 pupils are graduating from three East End high schools where students likely to drop out were asked to tutor younger students, for which the tutors earned time dollars. This is an application of a program that has turned many potential drop outs into very engaged and successful students in 20 inner city Chicago schools. For more information, contact Time Dollar Institute, 5500 39 St., NW, Washington, DC 20015 (202)686-5200, yeswecan@aol.com, www.timedollar.org.

The Center for Global Education at George Mason University is running fall and spring semester programs in Global Humanitarian Action in Washington, DC and a number of summer internships in washington, DC, including "Conflict Resolution and Media Politics and War. For information contact the Center for Global Education, George Mason University Johnson Center Room 235, 4400 University Dr., MS 288, Fairfax, VA 22030 (703)993-2154, cge@gmu.edu, http://globaled.gmu.edu.

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